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JCC sells downtown buildings
Jackson Community College officials today announced the sale of the former Jacobson's Department Store building, the former Cortland Room, and the Robert L. Johnson Downtown Center building to Anesthesia Business Consultants, currently located at 744 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson, for a purchase price of $1.14 million. The sale includes approximately 102 parking spaces in the adjacent parking lot on Cortland Street.
JCC had asked voters in November, 2003 to approve a millage that would fund renovation of the Jacobson's building and Cortland Room for a new downtown campus center for health careers, which voters rejected. JCC acquired the buildings from the city of Jackson in June 2002 for $275,000 in back taxes, and the College purchased the Cortland Room in January 2003 for $100,000, and agreed to pay $300,000 for the nearby parking spaces. With the defeat of a second, smaller millage request in May, 2004, continuing budget problems prompted college officials to close the Johnson Downtown Center in August. The Johnson building was donated to the College by Comerica in 1989 and renovated in 1991.
"From our standpoint, we listened to what the taxpayers told us, to consolidate our operations and focus on our main campus, which is what we are doing," said Cindy Allen, JCC's vice president for institutional advancement. "This is a fair price for the property. Funds from this sale will be used for our facilities projects on campus."
The purchaser, Anesthesia Business Consultants, is owned by Tony Mira. The purchase agreement includes a 90-day due diligence clause that will allow Anesthesia Business Consultants to have the property inspected for environmental or other problems.
